Books!

[Kiraly]

I'm nearly at the end of The Nation by Terry Pratchett and no, I'm not crying sometimes, what are you meaning ?

Ooh, I really need to read that again one of these days. I read it in college during a pretty low point (when I was raiding the school library's "curriculum" section for children's/teen books to help me cope with life) and I remember enjoying it, but not much of the detail.

[urbicande]

Now reading Seveneves.  It reminds me why I don't really read Neal Stephenson very much.

I'm sure there's a good book hidden somewhere in the infodumps.

[Yuuago]

Today I started reading the English translation of The Life of Elves by Muriel Barbery... The subject isn't usually my kind of thing (it's the "two forces struggling to take over the world" kind of fantasy) but the language of the translation is so beautiful, it has me hooked anyway. I can only imagine that it's even more lovely in French.

[Kiraly]

Today I started reading the English translation of The Life of Elves by Muriel Barbery... The subject isn't usually my kind of thing (it's the "two forces struggling to take over the world" kind of fantasy) but the language of the translation is so beautiful, it has me hooked anyway. I can only imagine that it's even more lovely in French.

Hmm...I think I've read one of hers, she wrote The Elegance of the Hedgehog, right? I remember the language being very beautiful, even though I despised the ending.

[Yuuago]

Hmm...I think I've read one of hers, she wrote The Elegance of the Hedgehog, right? I remember the language being very beautiful, even though I despised the ending.

Ah, yes, she wrote that one too, though I haven't read it. (If I do read it, I suppose I'll prepare myself for whatever the end might be ;V )

[Bobriha]

I've just read ancient egyptian Tale of the Shipwrecked Traveller and I feel myself absolutely captivated by this short story! It's so beautiful, so full of thoughts and sooo sad. (And I started reading out of mere curiosity, didn't expected I would find such a gem). And poor Serpent acts more human then some of the born humans...

Another book I am reading now as a part of my Finnish studies is Through Greenland by Skies by Fridtjof Nansen. I beleive there should also be English translation of this book? It is written about century and a half ago and it is still interesting nowdays. I wonder if Nansen was also a poet up to his many talents? The way he pictures nature is a pure poetry.

[Róisín]

He certainly writes like a poet! Have you read Jean-Henri Fabre or John Muir? If you like Nansen you would probably like them.

[Bobriha]

He certainly writes like a poet! Have you read Jean-Henri Fabre or John Muir? If you like Nansen you would probably like them.

I may or may not be in love with Nansen.
No I haven't and I feel I'll totally have to. Thanks for introducing them!
Right now, though, ahead of me is aformentioned Through Greenland... and a huge, huuge tome of ancient Near and Far East Literatures - this is what one may get for thinking one day "What if I learn one or two things about Shijing?"

[kjeks]

Analyzing some people whose purpose is to troll and tear other people down I stumbled over this one:

Jon Ronson - So you've been publicly shamed

I highly recommend the book to those using twitter and tumblr on high frequency while being interested in mechanisms of online societies or psychology. It follows the trail of public shaming. Several cases get analyzed. I got especially intrigued by the portrait of people who did by good intensions destroy other people's live and how these could barely recover because the internet society does neither forget nor forgive. Some mistakes judged as unforgiveable by online society get put in comparison to court judgements as well as areas of life we tend to hide in the dark (such as socialy inaccepted life styles, or interests).

It really is worth a shot, though I would recommend highly to gain some knowledge on how people's motives and beneath lying emotions and needs steer their actions.

[Róisín]

Kjeks: that sounds really interesting! Our local library has it, I'll read it with interest.

[Athena]

I found a copy of the little prince (in English) in my basement while doing spring cleaning and I just finished reading it. I never thought such a short book could be so meaningful and thought provoking. That ending... :sad_smile:

[Tr]

I found a copy of the little prince (in English) in my basement while doing spring cleaning and I just finished reading it. I never thought such a short book could be so meaningful and thought provoking. That ending... :sad_smile:

I remember finding a copy in my stepmom's bookshelf and feeling the exact same way. It's a beautiful story.

[urbicande]

I found a copy of the little prince (in English) in my basement while doing spring cleaning and I just finished reading it. I never thought such a short book could be so meaningful and thought provoking. That ending... :sad_smile:

It's my favorite book ever, and I actually collect them in different languages.  (And, bonus, it was mostly written here on Long Island!)  I've got...err...let's see English, French, and German which are the ones I can actually read and have read.  In addition, I have (in no particular order) Danish, Finnish, Estonian, Japanese, Russian, Polish, Greek, Hungarian, Portuguese, Spanish, Latin.  I think I have another one or two that I'm not remembering right now (anyone who's willing to take Paypal and willing to add a few more languages from Your Local Country, please contact me!  I can get them here but I try to get them printed in and from a country where the language is spoken. The exceptions in my collection are the Latin edition and one of my two French ones -- that was bought here, but my other was bought in Paris )

On ne voit bien qu'avec le coeur. L'essentiel est invisible pour les yeux.

[kjeks]

It's my favorite book ever, and I actually collect them in different languages.  (And, bonus, it was mostly written here on Long Island!)  I've got...err...let's see English, French, and German which are the ones I can actually read and have read.  In addition, I have (in no particular order) Danish, Finnish, Estonian, Japanese, Russian, Polish, Greek, Hungarian, Portuguese, Spanish, Latin.  I think I have another one or two that I'm not remembering right now (anyone who's willing to take Paypal and willing to add a few more languages from Your Local Country, please contact me!  I can get them here but I try to get them printed in and from a country where the language is spoken. The exceptions in my collection are the Latin edition and one of my two French ones -- that was bought here, but my other was bought in Paris )

On ne voit bien qu'avec le coeur. L'essentiel est invisible pour les yeux.

Ohhh what a beautiful collection!!!

[Athena]

It's my favorite book ever, and I actually collect them in different languages.  (And, bonus, it was mostly written here on Long Island!)  I've got...err...let's see English, French, and German which are the ones I can actually read and have read.  In addition, I have (in no particular order) Danish, Finnish, Estonian, Japanese, Russian, Polish, Greek, Hungarian, Portuguese, Spanish, Latin.  I think I have another one or two that I'm not remembering right now (anyone who's willing to take Paypal and willing to add a few more languages from Your Local Country, please contact me!  I can get them here but I try to get them printed in and from a country where the language is spoken. The exceptions in my collection are the Latin edition and one of my two French ones -- that was bought here, but my other was bought in Paris )

On ne voit bien qu'avec le coeur. L'essentiel est invisible pour les yeux.

Wow, that's quite the collection! What an interesting thing to collect as well!

I remember finding a copy in my stepmom's bookshelf and feeling the exact same way. It's a beautiful story.

Yeah, I've fallen in love with this book. I sense many re-reads in the future.